How Parliament works

Relationships with other parliaments

The New Zealand Parliament supports and promotes the development of parliamentary democracy overseas, particularly in the Pacific region. It does this though a programme of inward and outward inter-parliamentary visits, membership of international inter-parliamentary organisations, the establishment of Parliamentary Friendship Groups, and hosting and contributing to parliamentary conferences, workshops and study programmes.

Relationships with other parliaments

The New Zealand Parliament supports and promotes the development of parliamentary democracy overseas, particularly in the Pacific region. It does this though a programme of inward and outward inter-parliamentary visits, membership of international inter-parliamentary organisations, the establishment of Parliamentary Friendship Groups, and hosting and contributing to parliamentary conferences, workshops and study programmes.

The aim of the inter-parliamentary relations programme is to enhance international parliamentary democracy and knowledge by facilitating the New Zealand Parliament’s engagement with the global parliamentary community. Part of the programme includes both official and unofficial visits by delegations and individual parliamentarians who visit to learn about our parliamentary practices and procedures

The aim of the inter-parliamentary relations programme is to enhance international parliamentary democracy and knowledge by facilitating the New Zealand Parliament’s engagement with the global parliamentary community. Part of this programme includes bilateral visits to other parliaments and participation by members at international parliamentary conferences, seminars, exchanges and professional development events.

Membership of inter-parliamentary organisations supports New Zealand’s contribution to debate on global issues, provides for engagement with the international parliamentary community, and the opportunity for parliamentarians to develop professionally.

This manual is a resource for those who draft members’ bills for Pacific Island parliaments. Members’ bills are an important means of increasing members’ participation in the democratic process by giving them a voice to express policies that are important to them or their constituents. The manual sets out the responsibilities of the sponsoring member and drafter, gives guidance on clear drafting and style, and contains a template for drafting members’ bills. It brings together resources on drafting members’ bills, especially material prepared by the Parliamentary Counsel Office of New Zealand for Pacific legislative drafting.

The Forum was held in Wellington, New Zealand from 18 to 22 April 2013. The focus of the Forum of Pacific parliamentarians and political leaders was on strengthening regional governance, building stronger democracy across the Pacific, and addressing issues of concern to the Pacific, in the New Zealand Parliament.